explorer rear?

 

I've got one - it's a limited slip 373 that is also available in 4:10, but it's still a solid axle housing all the way across. Were later years IRS?

If there's such a thing as an Explorer with an IRS, the answer is to bag an Explorer chassis from a bone yard and bolt a Ranger cab and bed onto it. Certain year Explorers also came with a 5.0 V8 - so it could easily become a V8 Ranger toy...

SEE THIS WIKI link for detail:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ford_Explorer

The last year of "BODY on FRAME" was 2010, and the last year I see with a 5.0L is 2005 - so if you want a frame based chassis with everything in place for a V8, '05 is the key.

You may still have a hassle with the front grill and radiator space.

I was thinking about doing this kind of wikkidness to a Ranger over four years ago, but the cash dried up.

When Explorers first hit the streets - there was a big furor over rollovers and tires. The result was that FORD went to great lengths to make the suspension far better, and they greatly improved it. My thoughts are that a bone stock later year Explorer chassis has everything you need to have an incredible advantage over the stock Ranger chassis suspensions - and they can be modified upwards from there. As far as I can tell, the wheelbase is the same.

To bolt down a Ranger cab and bed onto one should be childs play.

 

97 was the first year for IRS in them. also has 4 wheel disc brakes with the parking brake inside of it, like the crown vics

 

IRS was also available on all 89-97 T-birds...............

 

Wolfie, starting in 06, you v8 in a 'sploder is the 4.6 mod motor.
Yeah, the WIDE one.
I have one in the Town Car, and another one in the 06 f 150 Crew cab. That motor SCREAMS
If you like your 351's, you will LOVE the 4.6's

 

What would you guys think about putting a Dana 44 independent rear on it? That would be more like a Jaguar rear end. Or would you guys go more like the Corvette rear end?

 

The rear we are talking about in the explorer is aFord 8.8

If I were building a small truck for street/ off road, I would try to stay all ford.
Makes buying parts easier when you break things

 

There is a ford 8.8 independent rear? I did not know that. I was so bent on Dana being good axles that I really put stock Ford axles out of my mind

 

All the above axles we are talking about are 8.8
They are coil spring or strut, to go with your other thread.

 

Someone recently suggested I look at using a pair of quarter ellipse leaf springs to suspend the Independent rear. What do you all think about that? Also, it would require some other way of keeping the axle on there, and I don't know if 4 link (the most suggested) is legal in my area. How would you guys link the axle?